The film is being presumably based on the story of Bilal ibn Rabah, a companion of Prophet Mohammed. via STEP FEED on FEBRUARY 24, 2015: Dubai-based animation studio Barajoun Entertainment released the first trailer for its animated film “Bilal” this week, promising to bring an Arabic hero to the bring screen. A thousand years ago, one boy with a […]

by SAM HARDY for CONFLICT ANTIQUITIES (BLOG) on FEBRUARY 23, 2015: It’s difficult to headline or even strapline the story of these events, but Turkey has extracted sarcophagi and other artefacts from a Turkish exclave that is surrounded by Islamic State-held Syrian territory, and apparently deliberately destroyed the mausoleum that housed the tombs. What, you might […]

by ELLEN MCLARNEY for REUTERS on FEBRUARY 18, 2015: Earlier this month, Tunisia’s newly elected parliament cobbled together a coalition government led by a secular party that included its Islamist rivals, who had been democratically ousted from power. The new government, coming on the heels of a historic presidential election, a new constitution and the […]

Column » ‘By the Book’ with Joseph Preville by JOSEPH RICHARD PREVILLE and JULIE POUCHER HARBIN for ISLAMiCommentary on FEBRUARY 19, 2015: How do Muslims fit into the quilt of American history? Jonathan Curiel investigates this question in his new book, Islam in America (I.B. Tauris, April 28, 2015). “America’s first Muslims,” he writes, “were perceived […]

Column » Comics & Dialogue: Islam in Graphic Novels by A. DAVID LEWIS for ISLAMiCommentary on FEBRUARY 18, 2015: Currently based in Portland, Oregon, Katie Miranda is a Cartoonist-Calligrapher-Jewelry Designer-Illustrator-Activist. A hyphenate par excellence. “Comics and Dialogue” had a chance to talk with her about, among other things, her views on Islam and comics, Palestine and […]

by CHARLES KURZMAN for ISLAMiCommentary on FEBRUARY 12, 2015: A chill came over Chapel Hill Tuesday night. In the hours after three young people were gunned down on a quiet cul-de-sac, temperatures dropped below freezing and neighbors wondered whether this liberal college town had become the latest symbol of a troubling growth of anti-Muslim intolerance in […]

by BRUCE LAWRENCE for ISLAMiCommentary on FEBRUARY 11, 2015: First one, then two, then three were fatally shot in the head. All at once. By one man. From out of nowhere? Just hearing about it this morning, I felt overwhelmed by the brute force of this attack. It was like a punch to the gut. […]

Most Muslim-American Terrorism Cases Last Year Involved Fighters Going to Syria by TRIANGLE CENTER ON TERRORISM AND HOMELAND SECURITY (PRESS RELEASE) on FEBRUARY 9, 2015: (Durham, N.C. – Feb. 9, 2015) – A new report issued this week by the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security shows that terrorist plots involving Muslim-Americans accounted for […]

“Istanbul is the economic, cultural, and historical heart of Turkey, and the only city in the world located on two continents. Between 1453 and 1922, Istanbul was the capital city of the Ottoman Empire, which extended into southeastern Europe, the eastern Mediterranean and North Africa. Until 1924, it was the seat of the last Islamic […]

“Often one might ask the question: Do we see the light at the end of the tunnel? I would say we don’t see the entrance of the tunnel because there’s a wall there separating us from the tunnel. We need to bring down this wall. And we need to see the tunnel as is in […]

“We invoke the name of Allah to bless a meal. We invoke His name before opening a book we are about to read. We invoke His name to anticipate an action. We invoke His name to mark a ritual slaughter. Why do all religions put such a focus on the name of this or that […]

WATCH: Banksy Goes Undercover In Gaza To Support Struggling Palestinians

by PRISCILLA FRANK for HUFFINGTON POST on FEBRUARY 26, 2015: The anonymous street artist Banksy released a series of new works Wednesday in Gaza, all commenting on the dire situation of the 1.8 million Palestinian residents confined to the area. (SEE PHOTOS HERE) One of the works is a short documentary (WATCH ABOVE) posturing as […]

Scholars Reflect on the “Legacy of Malcolm X” (Part 2)

by JULIE POUCHER HARBIN, EDITOR, ISLAMiCommentary, on FEBRUARY 23, 2015 *Updated February 25 with Forum for Scholars & Publics video: February 21, 2015 marked the 50th anniversary of the assassination of one of the most iconic leaders of the 20th century, Malcolm X El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. This weekend his life and legacy got widespread media attention. […]

“Often one might ask the question: Do we see the light at the end of the tunnel? I would say we don’t see the entrance of the tunnel because there’s a wall there separating us from the tunnel. We need to bring down this wall. And we need to see the tunnel as is in […]

“We invoke the name of Allah to bless a meal. We invoke His name before opening a book we are about to read. We invoke His name to anticipate an action. We invoke His name to mark a ritual slaughter. Why do all religions put such a focus on the name of this or that […]

Column » ‘By the Book’ with Joseph Preville by JOSEPH RICHARD PREVILLE and JULIE POUCHER HARBIN for ISLAMiCommentary on FEBRUARY 19, 2015: How do Muslims fit into the quilt of American history? Jonathan Curiel investigates this question in his new book, Islam in America (I.B. Tauris, April 28, 2015). “America’s first Muslims,” he writes, “were perceived […]

Column » Comics & Dialogue: Islam in Graphic Novels by A. DAVID LEWIS for ISLAMiCommentary on FEBRUARY 18, 2015: Currently based in Portland, Oregon, Katie Miranda is a Cartoonist-Calligrapher-Jewelry Designer-Illustrator-Activist. A hyphenate par excellence. “Comics and Dialogue” had a chance to talk with her about, among other things, her views on Islam and comics, Palestine and […]

by CHARLES KURZMAN for ISLAMiCommentary on FEBRUARY 12, 2015: A chill came over Chapel Hill Tuesday night. In the hours after three young people were gunned down on a quiet cul-de-sac, temperatures dropped below freezing and neighbors wondered whether this liberal college town had become the latest symbol of a troubling growth of anti-Muslim intolerance in […]

Column » ‘By the Book’ with Joseph Preville by JOSEPH RICHARD PREVILLE and JULIE POUCHER HARBIN for ISLAMiCommentary on FEBRUARY 19, 2015: How do Muslims fit into the quilt of American history? Jonathan Curiel investigates this question in his new book, Islam in America (I.B. Tauris, April 28, 2015). “America’s first Muslims,” he writes, “were perceived […]

Column » ‘By the Book’ with Joseph Preville by JOSEPH RICHARD PREVILLE for ISLAMiCommentary on JANUARY 13, 2015: (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) History is a witness to the close relationship between Muslims and Jews. That was the message Profesor Mark R. Cohen delivered in two lectures at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia last month on the […]

Column » ‘By the Book’ with Joseph Preville by JOSEPH RICHARD PREVILLE and JULIE POUCHER HARBIN for ISLAMiCommentary on DECEMBER 2, 2014: Pakistan is a nation with a strong will to survive. It has endured political upheavals, ethnic discord, military dictatorships, and the challenges of religious extremism. In her new book, The Struggle for Pakistan: A […]

Column » Comics & Dialogue: Islam in Graphic Novels by A. DAVID LEWIS for ISLAMiCommentary on FEBRUARY 18, 2015: Currently based in Portland, Oregon, Katie Miranda is a Cartoonist-Calligrapher-Jewelry Designer-Illustrator-Activist. A hyphenate par excellence. “Comics and Dialogue” had a chance to talk with her about, among other things, her views on Islam and comics, Palestine and […]

“Good is not a thing you are. It’s a thing you do.” – Ms. Marvel, Issue #5 Column » Comics & Dialogue: Islam in Graphic Novels by A. DAVID LEWIS for ISLAMiCommentary on JANUARY 28, 2015: Since her debut in late 2013, the teen superhero Ms. Marvel has accomplished any number of fictional feats in […]

Real Life Lessons from 2011’s “Aaron and Ahmed: A Love Story” Set in Guantanamo Bay “Aaron and Ahmed” cover (Vertigo Comics) Column » Comics & Dialogue: Islam in Graphic Novels by A. DAVID LEWIS for ISLAMiCommentary on JANUARY 23, 2015: In his 2011 review of the graphic novel Aaron and Ahmed: A Love Story, set […]